MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama men's basketball closes the regular season on Friday, Feb.27 at 7:30 p.m. CT against Southern Miss in the Mitchell Center. The Jags are currently in a four-way tie for first place, and a win would clinch a share of the Sun Belt regular season title in back-to-back years.
Game Information
South Alabama (21–9, 11–6 SBC) vs. Southern Miss (15-15, 8-9 SBC)
Date: Friday, Feb. 27
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Mobile, Ala. | Mitchell Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Jags Radio Network
Last Time Out
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South Alabama delivered one of its most complete performances Wednesday night, rolling past ULM 89-54 Wednesday night in the Mitchell Center to vault back into a tie for first place in the Sun Belt.
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The Jags led for 39 of 40 minutes and shot 57 percent from the field, while limiting ULM to 29.3 percent shooting to improve to 21-9 overall and 11-6 in conference action.
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Adam Olsen led all scorers with 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 8-of-13 from three-point range.
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Chaze Harris added 15 points with five assists and five rebounds, while Jayden Cooper contributed 14 points and three assists.
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Randy Brady chipped in nine points and eight rebounds as five Jaguars finished with at least nine points in a balanced offensive effort.
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South Alabama finished the night 30-of-52 (57.7%) from the floor and 14-of-32 (43.8%) from three-point range.
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USA opened the game with an 11–2 run to open the contest and never trailed, building a commanding 42–14 halftime advantage after holding the Warhawks to just 5-of-33 (15.2%) shooting in the first half.
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The second half followed a similar script, as Olsen connected on back-to-back threes in the opening minute to push the lead beyond 30 and effectively put the game out of reach.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
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Southern Miss is 8-9 in Sun Belt play. After starting 5-1, the Golden Eagles went on a five-game losing skid before getting back on track. After winning back-to-back games, Southern Miss fell at Arkansas State on Tuesday night.
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Tylik Weeks is tied with Harris for the lead in the conference for points per game with 18.8.
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Southern Miss has been impressive at getting to the free throw line this season, collecting 43rd most free throws attempted per game 24.1 this year.
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Djahi Binet continues to stand out for the Golden Eagles, averaging 11.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest.
Series History
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South Alabama has put a stranglehold on this 54-game series, winning seven straight and eight of the last nine meetings against Southern Miss. The all-time series is even at 27–27, but the Jaguars hold a 15–12 edge at the Mitchell Center and have not lost to the Golden Eagles at home since 2015.
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The Jags outlasted the Golden Eagles earlier this season in Hattiesburg as Cooper went for a D1 career-high 34 points and Harris followed with 26 to give the Jags an 84-78 win.
Notes You Need to Know
- Over the last six games, the trio of Adam Olsen (119 points), Chaze Harris (144 points), and Jayden Cooper (91 points) has fueled South Alabama's surge, combining for multiple dominant performances.
- Adam Olsen buried eight threes and scored a career-best 29 points in Friday's 89–54 win over ULM. Olsen now sits at 97 made three-pointers on the season, three away from breaking the school record of 99 set by Chris Young in 2002–03.
- With one game remaining in the regular season, South Alabama remains firmly in contention for a second consecutive Sun Belt regular-season championship. A win tonight would secure at least a share of the title, marking the 13th regular-season championship in program history and the first time the Jaguars have gone back-to-back since the 2006–07 season.
- To claim the outright title, South Alabama must win its remaining matchup against Southern Miss (and ULM, if applicable), while App State falls to Texas State, Troy drops one of its games against Louisiana or ULM, and Marshall loses to either Georgia Southern or Old Dominion. If those results materialize, the Jaguars would secure the outright Sun Belt regular-season championship and capture consecutive titles for the first time in nearly two decades.
- Chaze Harris leads the nation in total rim points this season, according to Synergy Sports, becoming the only guard in the platform's 15-year database to ever hold that distinction. A "rim point" refers to points scored at the basket — layups, dunks, and fouls drawn at the rim — the most efficient area of the floor. Harris has accounted for 34 percent of South Alabama's total free-throw attempts and 34 percent of its two-point attempts while also generating 41 percent of the team's assists, with just 11 percent of his field goals being assisted, highlighting his ability to create his own offense.
- South Alabama dismantled ULM on Wednesday behind a relentless defensive effort in the first half, limiting the Warhawks to 5.6 percent shooting from the field, 15.2 percent shooting from three-point range, and 14 total first-half points, which was the lowest point total in a half since 2021.
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